05/28/2010

Quo Vadis: The death record of George Michalecz

There are several types of Latin. There is classical Latin [read Ovid or Cicero]; there is medieval Latin used in the church or business documents; there is neo-classical Latin used by European scholars such as Erasmus in letters and articles; and there is post-classical Latin. That is, Latin used by churchmen and others that bears no resemblance to actual Latin, with the exception of word meaning. Syntax and grammar are lost.

Here is such a case. Clearly, the record says: [Entry #] 183 d. 7 [August 1799] [Some abbreviated title] Georgius Michalecz in circiter 43 anos natus ab equo per tempora tactus cidit. I can manage Latin well and know the meaning of the words. And they don't make sense in that sentence. I live with a classical Latin scholar and he can't make sense of it. We passed it to two other Latin teachers and they couldn't do it either. Literally it says: George Michaelecz about 43 years old died falling off a horse touched by time. The last word is a prefix followed by cidit which comes from either caedo (to chop or strike; strike down or cut down, by extension to kill or murder) or cado (to fall, sink, drop, be slain, die, or be sacrificed). I can't tell what the prefix actually is. [There's no umlauts in Latin] Certainly, died from falling off a horse should be only: ab equo cidit. The per tempora tactus. Is a complete mystery.

This man is probably the great-great-grandfather of my great-grandmother. The death record doesn't give his wife's or father's name. It does match his age well-- he was baptized on 15 July 1754. However, there are several George Michalecz's lurking around at this time. This record is from the Lutheran church in Myjava.